Here is an example of one of the airplanes that Lynn renewed that illustrates some of the steps that he goes through when renewing the interior of an airplane. The subject airplane is a 1978 Mooney 201. The interior was the original one, installed at the factory in Kerville Texas in 1978. It was renewed by Lynn in June of 2000. You can click on any of the photos to see a larger version. These first photographs show the tired, twenty two year old leather interior in this 1978 Mooney 201.

Some of the problems that aren't easy to see in the photographs are that the foam is very broken down, particularly on the front seats. So much so that it was difficult for the pilot to put his hand between the two front seats to operate the trim wheel. Also note the bagged out storage pockets in front of the seats.

The backs of Mooney front seats are prone to fatigue cracking and the ones in this airplane were no exception, requiring some repair work by an A&P before they could be recovered and reinstalled.

Here you can see some of the process involved in removing the old interior. After carefully removing it, Lynn spends a considerable amount of time cleaning up the floor and inspecting the interior space. The tape on all the seams in the cabin is removed, the old adhesive is cleaned off and then new, aluminum tape is used to reseal those seams to prevent air infiltration. On much of the floor he uses lacquer thinner to clean and remove, among other things, the old paint around the seat tracks. He then tapes off the track area, and the tracks themselves, wipes everything down one more time, and then primes and paints the taped off areas to give it a new appearance.

He also cleans out the wing roots of the dirt and debris that has accumulated over the years and then re-tapes the root areas with aluminum tape . This helps eliminate drafts from the wing root areas.

Lynn inspects the insulation and checks for corrosion of the tubular structure. If any problems are found he will contact the owner and advise them regarding what needs to be done to remedy the problem. If Mooney Service Bulletin 208 hasn't been complied with yet, Lynn can install the insulation kit and sand and prime any tubes that need it.

Once all of this preparatory work has been completed then Lynn can begin the more enjoyable part of the job, creating and installing the new custom interior with the colors and fabrics that the owner has selected. Below is the result of his work on this 1978 Mooney 201. Here the owner selected a light taupe leather, light tan carpet and an accent fabric that contains those colors as well as the navy blue and tan on the exterior of the airplane.

You will notice that the new interior also has split rear seats while the original had a rear bench seat. This is an option that some early 201 and 231 owners elect to go with. This option is possible when parts are available and it requires an FAA form 337, field approval, prior to the work being done, for an additional cost. It does, however, provide additional utility that some owners are looking for. You can see additional photographs of this airplane in the featured recent works section. It is the 1978 Mooney 201.